The salience of English as the main language of instruction at tertiary institutions across South Africa has not been without critique. At the University of Cape Town, henceforth UCT, conversations surrounding language and academic success have become bolstered by the rhetoric of decolonisation, necessitating a review of policy and practice. This in turn has opened up research opportunities pertaining to student and staff experiences of language at the institution. This thesis is a response to the urgent need for ethnographic focus on the language situation at UCT and higher education institutions countrywide, where increasingly light falls on the language question within quests for decolonisation and social justice. Focusing the language question within frameworks of decoloniality, glocalisation, translanguaging and the development of African languages in education, this thesis distills ethnographic data to argue that language borders need to be reevaluated in a quest for conviviality informed by the universality of incompleteness, where fluidity, interconnection, and interdependence are prioritised over the current dominance of English. Grounded in rich ethnographic evidence in the form of student interviews and reflections, meeting at the intersection of social and linguistic anthropology, this thesis grapples with the critical questions: “What is language at UCT? And what does language do?”

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / During this research it became apparent that there are shortcomings in existing approaches regarding the conjunctions which may precede situatives in Northern Sotho, as well as their semantic functions. It has been found that conjunctions may appear in different semantic relations regarding situatives. These relations are classified as temporal, temporal-conditional, causal, contrastive and actualising. Although they display morphological, semantic and syntactic similarities, the situative and the relative are viewed as separate moods. On the semantic level , a relation between conditional situatives, on the one hand, and the conditional mood, on the other, has been observed . Situatives without conjunctions act either with a temporal semantic connotation or with a qualificative meaning. A distinction is made between situatives with a momental temporal meaning and situatives which indicate a lapse of time. This semantic difference among temporal situatives is related to the occurrence or omission of conjunctions. / Uit hierdie ondersoek het dit geblyk dat daar l eemtes be staan in beskouinge rakende die aanwending van konjunktiewe voor situatiewe werkwoorde in Noord - Sotho, asook die semantiese funksies wat konjunktiewe het in gevalle waar hulle wel voor kom. Daar is bevind dat konjunktiewe in verskillende semantiese verbande tot situatiewe kan staan. Die verbande word getipeer as temporaal, temporaal -kondisi onaal, redegewend, teenstelling en aktualisering. Die situatief en relatief word as aparte modi beskou, ofskoon hulle morfologiese, semantiese en sintaktiese raakpunte vertoon. Op semantiese vlak is ook 'n verband waargeneem tussen situatiewe wat kondisie uitdruk enersyds, en die kondisionale modus, andersyds. Situatiewe sonder konjunktiewe tree op met 'n temporale betekeniskonnotasie of kwalifiserend op. Wat eersgenoemde betref, word onderskei tussen situatiewe met 'n momentaantemporale betekenis, enersyds, en situatiewe wat op tydsverloop dui, andersyds. Die onderskeid hou direk verband met die aan- of afwesigheid van konjunktiewe voor siluatiewe werkwoorde. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

Thesis (MPhil (African Languages))—University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Financial institutions are among the key players in the economic growth of the country. The success of these institutions is, among other things, dependent on the support of the members of the public. This shows that it is important that the relationship between the two parties is sound. One of the ways of sustaining the communication between the financial institutions and the members of the public is to ensure that the information from the institutions reaches the clients/customers or prospective supporters. Since there is a wide range of the members of society in terms of language, culture and educational levels, it is crucial that the financial institutions take note of these factors. The implication is that the information that is communicated to the clients or customers should be available in the language that the clients/customers are familiar with. Previously, most of the information was communicated in English and Afrikaans. With the introduction of eleven official languages in South Africa, this indicated a need for material that is translated into different languages. The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether there is material available from the financial institutions that is translated into isiXhosa. If it is available, I would like to know whether it is reader-centred and whether it communicates with the target reader. The evaluation of the existing translated material is done by using samples of brochures which are drawn from three institutions. Using the views of some of the theoretical approaches to translation, I do a critical analysis of the translated material. In order to have a balanced evaluation of the translated material, the views of the members from the community are tested through interviews and by using questionnaires. In the conclusion, I highlight the results of my findings and observations which are based on the responses that the participants gave.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this thesis is to present an isiXhosa task-based syllabus design for police communication. The aim is to provide a theory-based rationale for syllabus design to teach English- and Afrikaans-speaking police officials isiXhosa as a second language in order to communicate with the isiXhosa mother tongue police officials inside the police station (internal), as well as with the isiXhosa speaking community (external). For this purpose, a needs analysis is conducted, i.e. the communication needs and objectives of the police officials are determined. Therefore, the aim is to determine the proficiency level of the police officials in terms of their knowledge about isiXhosa. The thesis undertakes this investigation in order to determine the type of communication used by the police officials. Communicative tasks, appropriate for police officials on an intermediate level, were constructed accordingly for the purpose of identifying central task types. An analysis of each dialogue is done in order to determine the level of cognitive, as well as syntactic complexity. Each of these dialogues can be scaled in terms of their complexity, i.e. the complexity can either be increased or decreased. The aim of the communicative tasks is to teach learners various ways in which different parts of texts relate to one another. Furthermore, the purpose of this thesis is to determine the way in which Task-based Language Teaching can be incorporated into a syllabus design in order to teach isiXhosa to police officials as a second language. The aim of Task-based Language Teaching is to create natural contexts in which communicative tasks can be performed. The communicative tasks should enable the police officials to use the language in order to communicate in the world outside the classroom. The study concludes that specific purpose syllabus design is a multi-faceted process, hence it requires a multi-perspective approach as demonstrated in this thesis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie tesis is om 'n Taakgebaseerde Sillabusontwerp vir polisiekommunikasie voor te stel. Die mikpunt is om 'n teoreties-gebaseerde rasionaal vir sillabusontwerp te verskaf om sodoende Engels- en Afrikaanssprekende polisielede isiXhosa as tweede taal te leer sodat hulle in staat is om met polisielede in die polisiestasie (intern), asook met die gemeenskap (ekstern) te kommunikeer. Vir hierdie doeleinde is dit nodig om 'n behoefte-analise saam te stel, met ander woorde die kommunikasiebehoeftes en -doelwitte van die polisielede. Die doel is dus om die bevoegdheidsvlak van die polisielede te bepaal in terme van hul kennis rakende isiXhosa. Dit sluit 'n ondersoek in om vas te stel watter tipe kommunikasie deur die polisielede gebruik word. Kommunikatiewe take, geskik vir polisielede op 'n intermediere vlak, is daarvolgens saamgestel om sodoende sentrale taaktipes te identifiseer. Elke dialoog is geanaliseer in terme van kognitiewe, asook sintaktiese kompleksiteit. Elkeen van hierdie dialoe kan georden word in terme van hul kompleksiteit, met ander woorde die kompleksiteit kan of verhoog of verlaag word. Die doel van die kommunikatiewe take is om leerders verskeie maniere te wys waarop verskillende dele van tekste verband hou met mekaar. Verder is die doel van hierdie tesis om te bepaal hoe Taakgebaseerde Taalonderrig in 'n sillabusontwerp inkorporeer kan word om sodoende isiXhosa as tweede taal aan polisielede te leer. Die mikpunt van Taakgebaseerde Taalonderrig is om natuurlike kontekste te skep waarin kommunikatiewe take uitgevoer kan word. Die kommunikatiewe take is veronderstel om polisielede in staat te stel om die taal te gebruik sodat hulle in die wereld buite die klaskamer kan kommunikeer. Die gevolgtrekking van die studie is dat 'n sillabusontwerp vir spesifieke doeleindes, 'n multi-kenmerkende proses is, en dus 'n multi-perspektiewe benadering vereis soos wat demonstreer is in hierdie tesis.

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--Stellenbosch University, 20008. / The goal of this study is to investigate the speech act of persuasion in the Xhosa drama text Isisila sehobe by Satyo and Gwashu. The investigation into persuasive communication in Isisila sehobe takes as a starting point the persuasive strategies of Larson (1999). The study's main aim is to establish the linguistic realisation through which social aspects of isiXhosa persuasion are expressed in Isisila sehobe. The core persuasive message in this text is concerned with marriage. This study shows that some people take as their reasons for marriage materialistic things such as wealth and as a result such marriages seldom materialise or become stable, because people merely stay together for convenience and not love. In Isisila sehobe the results of such a marriage are disastrous, even leading to death. In addition, this study aims to present an account of how characters in Isisila sehobe realise premises and strategies of persuasion in authentic communication, using the framework of persuasion theory (O’Keefe, 1990).

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The purpose of this study is to apply relevant and up-to-date theories concerning language learning and acquisition to the specific needs of second-language learners of isiXhosa in the field of health sciences through microanalysis of doctor-patient dialogues in isiXhosa. This study explores a task-based approach to language learning and teaching that differs from traditionally applied methods. In this approach, the performance of a task is regarded as the key feature in the language-learning process. This is in accordance with the central aim of the task-based approach to language learning and teaching, which is to transform the prescribed roles of teachers and learners in the classroom context so that learners move from being passive observers to being actively involved in their own learning processes, and teachers become facilitators and not presenters of the language.In an endeavour to exploit the possibilities of tasks in the teaching and learning of isiXhosa for health sciences needs, this study investigates the various components that comprise a task as well as the possible effects that these components may have on language learning and use. The results of the study could then provide teachers of second-language courses with specific notions and strategies, which, when successfully applied, could ensure optimal language learning and acquisition for language learners. To expand the study, an analysis is conducted regarding the presence and nature of cognitive complexity and syntactic complexity in authentic doctor-patient dialogues in isiXhosa. The classification of these conversations will serve to inform the manner in which tasks could be sequenced in a task-based language teaching course for second-language learners.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The concern of the study of phonetics and phonology is the speech sounds of languages. Phonetics is concerned with the description and the classification of speech sounds. Phonology, on the other hand is responsible for the sound patterns of speech sounds in a given language namely, the sound inventory, permissible sequences and how the sounds change in different circumstances. This study examines and evaluates the manner in which phonetic-phonological information is applied in South African dictionaries with particular reference to Nguni dictionaries. Dictionaries are regarded as authoritative linguistic tools, therefore, the phonetic-phonological aspects of the language is one of the important information categories that is included in dictionaries. A word as the linguistic unit consists of speech sounds which are in turn regarded as phonological units as well as phonetic entities. The phonetic-phonological signification of the lexical unit in the dictionary entry plays a role in access to facilitating the spoken form of the language recorded. This critical analysis and evaluation of Nguni dictionaries reflects on the current approaches pertaining to the presentation of both segmental and suprasegmental features of speech sound. Secondly, it also demonstrates the types of pronunciation information that is lexicographically relevant for the thorough treatment of the lemma. Although phonetic-phonological information is almost the prevalent feature of all dictionary types, there are problems encountered during its presentation. In the evaluation of Nguni dictionaries the treatment of pronunciation information is coupled with inadequacies and inconsistencies. This is due to the lack of lexicographic planning and the sound application of lexicographic principles. It is evident from the investigation that pronunciation information remains the essential component of the dictionary entry. The inclusion of phonetic-phonological information requires lexicographic planning that is actually based on linguistic theories that are primarily aimed at practical lexicography. The general guidelines that are presented in this study compel lexicographers to introduce innovative methods when handling pronunciation. The proposed approaches in future dictionaries will enhance the accessibility of information when harmonised. It is concluded that lexicographical products in the multilingual South Africa should begin to document the spoken form of various languages for the general record of the sounds of the language and also for pedagogic purposes. A good phonological and phonetic description of the official languages is also pertinent especially in the design stage of the dictionary. The lexicographic approaches followed in the treatment of any linguistic information should based on the (a) functional criteria of the dictionary compiled and (b) also on the prospective user's skills. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Fonetiek en fonologie is die studie van die spraakklanke van tale. Fonetiek sien om na die beskrywing en klassifikasie van spraakklanke. Fonologie daarenteen is verantwoordelik vir die klankpatrone van spraakklanke in 'n gegewe taal nl. die klankinventaris, die toelaatbare sekwensies en hoe die klanke omvorm word in wisselende omstandighede, dit wil se die fonologiese proses. Hierdie studie ondersoek die manier waarop foneties-fonologiese inligting in Suid-Afrikaanse woordeboeke, veral die van die Nguni-tale, vergestalt word. Woordeboeke word gesien as gesaghebbende linguistiese werktuie en die foneties-fonologiese aspekte van taal kom as 'n vername informasiekategorie daarin voor. Die woord as linguistiese eenheid bestaan uit spraakklanke wat op hul beurt beide as fonologiese eenhede sowel as fonetiese entiteite beskou word. Die foneties-fonologiese komponent van die leksikale eenheid speel 'n betekenisvolle rol in die toegang tot die gesproke vorm van die opgetekende taal. Die kritiese analise en evaluasie van Nguni-woordeboeke oorweeg die huidige benaderings wat betrekking het op die aanbieding van beide segmentele en suprasegmentele kenmerke van spraakklanke. Tweedens toon dit ook die tipes uitspraakinformasie wat leksikografies relevant is vir die deeglike uiteensetting van die inligting. Alhoewel foneties-fonologiese inligting die mees algemene verskynsel in alle woordeboektipes is, is daar nietemin probleme met die aanbieding daarvan. Uit die evaluasie van Nguni woordeboeke blyk dit dat ontoereikendhede en inkonsekwensies voorkom. Dit is toe te skryf aan die gebrek aan leksikografiese beplanning en die tekort aan deeglike toepassing van leksikografiese beginsels. Dit blyk uit die ondersoek dat uitspraakinformasie 'n essensiele komponent van die woordeboekinskrywing bly. Die insluiting van foneties-fonologiese inligting verg leksikografiese beplanning wat gebaseer is op 'n linguistiese teorie primer gefokus op praktiese leksikografie. Die algemene riglyne wat in hierdie studie aangebied word dwing leksikograwe om innoverende maatreels toe te pas by die hantering van uitspraak. Die voorgestelde benaderings vir woordeboeke van die toekoms sal die toeganklikheid tot hul inhoud verhoog indien die benaderings harmonieer word. Die slotsom is dat leksikografiese produkte in die veeltalige Suid-Afrika die gesproke vorm van die verskillende tale moet dokumenteer beide as 'n algemene rekord en ook vir pedagogiese doeleindes. 'n Goeie fonologiese en fonetiese beskrywing van die amptelike tale is ook van belang veral in die ontwerpstadium van die woordeboek. Die leksikogafiese benaderings wat gevolg word in die behandeling van enige linguistiese informasie moet gegrond wees op (a) funksionele kriteria van die saamgestelde woordeboek en (b) ook op die vaardighede van die voorgestelde gebruiker.

Thesis (DLitt (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the various elements which appear in compound nouns in Northern Sotho. The purpose of this study fill in an important gap in the Northern Sotho language studies as regards the morphological structure of compound nouns in Northern Sotho. This study is organized as follows: CHAPTER ONE presents an introduction to the study. The introductory sections which appear in this chapter include the aim of the study, the methodology and different views of researchers of other languages on compound nouns. Different categories which appear with the noun in the Northern Sotho compound are identified. CHAPTER TWO deals with the different features of the noun in Northern Sotho. It examines the various class prefixes, nominal stems/roots and nominal suffixes which form nouns. Nouns appear in classes according to the form of their prefixes. The morphological structures of the nouns have been presented. It also reviews the meanings, sound/phonological changes and origins of nouns. CHAPTER THREE is concerned with the nominal heads of compound nouns. It examines compounds that are formed through a combination of nouns, and compounds that are formed from nouns together with other syntactic categories. Arguments which defend the structure of different compounds with nominal heads are presented. CHAPTER FOUR explores compound nouns with verbal heads. It examines various elements of compound nouns with a verb as one of its components. The entire chapter includes examples that illustrate that when a verbal form appears with a noun, it is adapted to a noun by the addition of the relevant prefixes and suffixes. CHAPTER FIVE gives an overview of the findings, and presents the conclusions, of the research on compound nouns in Chapters Three and Four.

Thesis (DLitt (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Specific deceptive messages in Tshivenda were collected and subsequently analysed according to a methodology which is regularly used in deceptive message production. Forty deceptive messages were randomly collected from the following persons: teenage males and females and adult males and females. The main findings of the study can be summarized as follows: The respondents gave nine categories of reasons for their deceptive messages. The person involved in these deceptions are the deceivers (six categories of people) and the persons who have been deceived (seven categories of people). Extensive arguments have been utilized to strengthen the deceptive messages i.e. a total of 225 arguments. Various cues to deception have been extensively used i.e. 12 cues to deception which have been used 252 times. The four groups of people above have used these cues almost equally i.e. 61-65 cues per group. Cultural issues within deception have been given attention and nine different cultural issues have been found which have been used 46 times. The success rate of deception is not equal between the groups. The two female groups have a success rate of 75% while the male groups have a success rate of only 35%. Various other issues within message production in general have also received attention, i.e. plans which have been made to deceive as well as the complexity, type and quality of the plans. The action in deception has also been given attention, specifically message production and emotional appeals. Of the message effects mention can be made of relational and emotional effects, competence, appropriateness and effectiveness as well as politeness. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Spesifieke misleidende of bedrieglike boodskappe in Tshivenda is bymekaar gemaak en vervolgens ontleed volgens 'n metodologie wat algemeen gebruik word In misleidende boodskappe. Veertig misleidende boodskappe is van oral versamel van die volgende persone: jeugdige mans en vrouens, en volwasse mans en vrouens, Die hoof bevindinge van die studie kan soos volg saamgevat word: Die respondente het nege kategorieë van redes gegee vir hulle misleidende boodskappe. Die persone betrokke in hierdie misleidings is die misleier of bedrieër (ses kategorieë van mense) en die persone wat mislei is (sewe kategorieë van mense). Heelwat argumente is gebruik om die misleidende boodskappe te versterk, d.i. 'n totaal van 225 argumente. Verskeie aanwysings vir misleiding is ekstensief gebruik, d.i. 12 aanwysings vir misleiding is 252 kere gebruik. Die vier groepe deelnemers hierbo het hierdie aanwysings omtrent ewe veel gebruik, d.i. tussen 61 - 65 aanwysings per groep. Kulturele aangeleenthede in misleiding het ook aandag gekry en nege verskillende kulturele sake is gevind in die dialoë wat altesame 46 keer gebruik is. Die sukseskoers van misleiding is nie ewe sterk tussen die groepe nie. Die twee vroulike groepe het 'n sukseskoers van 75% terwyl die manlike groepe 'n sukseskoers van slegs 35% het. Verskeie ander sake in boodskapproduksie oor die algemeen is ook onder die loep geneem w.o. planne wat gemaak is om te mislei, asook die kompleksiteit, tipe en kwaliteit van die planne. Die handeling in misleiding het ook aandag geniet, spesifiek boodskapproduksie en emosionele aangeleenthede in misleiding. Van die boodskapeffekte kan melding gemaak word van die relasionele en emosionele effekte van misleiding, kompetensie, toepasllkheid en effektiwiteit sowel as beleefdheid in misleiding.

Thesis (DLitt (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examined persuasion in selected drama texts from the literary period 1981 to 2006. The selection was organised through the examination of two such texts in each of the following three periods: • 1981–1989: Le ka nketsang and Mpowane • 1990–1999: Bana ba khomo tsa batho and Tsiketsing sa qomatsi • 2000–2006: Ha le fahloe habeli and Leholimo la phetloa Since persuasion is a relatively new topic in literature, particularly in African languages, the study examined the persuasion strategies used in the selected texts. These strategies either entail persuasion applied purely as an upfront aspect for changing the targets’ attitudes, behaviours, beliefs or opinions or entail certain situations during which the persuaders, as literary characters, employ another type (or types) of persuasion – coercion, manipulation or propaganda – in order to change the targets. The main thrust of this thesis was the persuasive tactics or techniques that might be applied by literary characters in an attempt to stimulate change in other literary characters. The study also examined whether additional persuasive interactions are employed to motivate change in others and whether counter-persuasive actions are employed to resist the proposed change. Chapter One introduces the aspect of persuasion as propounded by persuasion practitioners and experts and gives the framework of the study as a whole. Chapter Two initiates the literature review on the goals-plans-action (GPA) model as part of the psychological theories on persuasive messages produced by various interactants. This model presupposes reasons for persuaders to create certain plans for achieving their goals. Chapter Three is concerned with Le ka nketsang and Mpowane as the selected 1981 to 1989 drama texts. Chapter Four concentrates on Bana ba khomo tsa batho and Tsiketsing sa qomatsi from the 1990 to 1999 literary period. Chapter Five deals with the literary period 2000 to 2006 and analyses the two drama texts Ha le fahloe habeli and Leholimo la phetloa. Chapter Six draws a conclusion from the findings on persuasive strategies and makes observations, per chapter, on the persuasive attempts from each literary period. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het oorreding in geselekteerde dramatekste uit die letterkundige tydperk 1981 tot 2006 ondersoek. Die seleksie is georganiseer deur twee sodanige tekste in elk van die onderstaande drie tydperke te ondersoek: • 1981–1989: Le ka nketsang en Mpowane • 1990–1999: Bana ba khomo tsa batho en Tsiketsing sa qomatsi • 2000–2006: Ha le fahloe habeli en Leholimo la phetloa Aangesien oorreding relatief nuwe onderwerp in die letterkunde is, in die besonder in Afrikatale, het die studie ondersoek ingestel na die oorredingstrategieë wat in die geselekteerde tekste gebruik is. Hierdie strategieë behels óf oorreding wat toegepas word suiwer as spontane aspek vir verandering van die houdings, gedrag, oortuigings of menings van die teikens, óf dit behels sekere situasies waartydens die oorreders, as letterkundige karakters, ander soort (of soorte) oorreding – dwang, manipulering of propaganda – gebruik ten einde die teikens te verander. Die belangrikste dryfkrag van hierdie tesis was die oorredende taktieke of tegnieke wat deur letterkundige karakters toegepas kan word in poging om verandering in ander letterkundige karakters aan te moedig. Die studie het ook nagegaan of addisionele oorredende interaksies ingespan word om verandering in ander te motiveer en of teen-oorredende optrede gebruik word om weerstand te bied teen die voorgestelde verandering. Hoofstuk Een stel die aspek van oorreding bekend soos dit by oorredingspraktisyns en deskundiges aangebied word, en gee die raamwerk van die studie as geheel. Hoofstuk Twee onderneem die literatuurstudie oor die doelstellings-planne-optrede (DPO)-model as deel van die sielkundige teorieë oor oorredende boodskappe soos gelewer deur verskeie persone wat in interaksie tree. Hierdie model voorveronderstel redes vir oorreders om sekere planne te ontwikkel vir die bereiking van hulle doelstellings. Hoofstuk Drie word gewy aan Le ka nketsang en Mpowane as die geselekteerde dramatekste uit die tydperk 1981 tot 1989. Hoofstuk Vier konsentreer op Bana ba khomo tsa batho en Tsiketsing sa qomatsi uit die tydperk 1990 tot 1999. Hoofstuk Vyf dek die letterkundige tydperk 2000 tot 2006, en analiseer die twee dramatekste Ha le fahloe habeli en Leholimo la phetloa. Hoofstuk Ses kom tot gevolgtrekking na aanleiding van die bevindings oor oorredende strategieë en maak waarnemings, per hoofstuk, oor die oorredende pogings van elke letterkundige tydperk.